If ever there were a time to analyze one's life, January is it. I LOVE January for that. It's burgeoning with promise. It's full of white space and tidy boxes and efficient check marks. I dream up new organization systems and get excited to implement them. I make lists and sketch ideas and add stuff gleefully to the Goodwill pile. I read, and write, and write about what I read, and I can sit happily for an embarrassingly long time with a mug of tea making neat notes in my new planner ("walk with G", "write for 30 minutes", "talk with MM").

And all this is GOOD. It is. I'm all for resolution-making, goal-setting, and habit-tracking. But I've realized that for me it's all fruitless if it doesn't start with God. I want to start by seeking His will, not just my desires...by chasing His purposes and not just my own satisfaction. I want — I need — to immerse myself in Him so I can recognize the difference between His leading and my striving. I want to look back on this January, this YEAR, and say, "That was the year I really GOT it." And so far, He's shown me glimpses of the life ahead. A life not riddled with vanity or insecurity or fear, but flowing with the calm confidence that comes from knowing I'm living the life He is prompting me to lead. A life connected to my fellow human beings, some who look like me and think like me, and many who don't. A life of stepping — or jumping — outside comfort zones. A life of letting my light shine before others, that they may see my good deeds and glorify My Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16).

I already know that none of this is truly within my capability. But it's all within HIS. So I'm going to let Him do the heavy lifting this year.

Will you join me? Start by spending time in the Bible and in prayer, and write down the glimpses He gives you of the year ahead. I'd love to hear where He's leading you!